Falling Too Quickly
by wanderingninjas
Summary: Quinn Fabray keeps getting her heart broken, while she breaks hearts at the same time. Finn, then Puck, then Artie. What happens when Mike comes along? NOTE: Rating changed to T.
1. Blossoming

**Author's Note:** This is my first story and I don't know how to really do Author's Notes, so I'm just putting it here. I'd like to acknowledge that this work isn't solely original. I got the idea of Quinn and Mike talking in the library from another story, along with him drawing on her. I believe the story was called 5 Boys Who Broke Quinn Fabray's Heart, or something to that effect. However, the plot of my story is entirely different. All I got from that story is the inspiration, the initial location (or so I believe), Mike drawing on Quinn, and her simply not being ready for another relationship. I have changed most details and it really is a different story. Nonetheless, if you are the author of the story I took these ideas from (I will admit it, I took these ideas, with no foul intent) and wish me to take down my story, I will do so without hesitation. Thank you and please enjoy.

Also- I would read the story I mentioned above. It is excellent.

Quinn Fabray sat quietly in the library, hidden among the towering bookshelves, contemplating her fall from grace. Once, she had been _that girl_, the one that every high school girl wanted to be, the one all the boys wanted to date. The head cheerleader, whip smart, president of the celibacy club, drop dead gorgeous, etc. And here she was, heartbroken over a boy in a wheelchair that had used her. But I'm getting ahead of my self now. Let me go back to the beginning of her fall from the Queen's position.

It started when Quinn had Glee Club, though only to keep an eye on her boyfriend Finn. It was soon after that _it _happened. Quinn had gotten pregnant at sixteen years of age, in her sophomore year of high school. With her boyfriend's best friend's baby, no less. Five months later, she lost Finn to the lie she had concocted to make him believe it was his baby, not Puck's. After another four months of humiliation, pain, and regret, Quinn had Beth, the only person in the world she was sure she ever loved, even if she could only hold the tiny baby for a few minutes.

Against her instincts, Quinn went out with Puck for six months after she let Beth go. He claimed he loved her, and somehow Quinn convinced herself that she loved him too. Then she found that asshole sleeping with Santana. She wasn't really surprised. Neither of them had it in their systems to be faithful. But it still hurt.

Desperate for someone, anyone, and it was then she found Artie. She knew that he only asked her out to get Tina back from Mike, and she thought it couldn't hurt to do him a favor. Quinn could see how much the crippled boy loved Tina, and knew she owed for the years of embarrassment she put him through before. Then the impossible happened- she fell for Artie. Looking back now, she wondered. Was it because she was so lonely? Or something else? Whatever it was, Quinn managed to convince herself that Artie had fallen for her too, only for him to finally get Tina back, just hours ago.

And here we are, with Quinn wondering what she should do. What was her life worth anymore? Then she heard the word that saved her, the word where our story begins.

"Hey."

I looked up, surprised somebody had found me here. Actually, I was far more surprised to see who had found me: Mike Chang. What the hell? Why was he still here? Glee had ended three and a half hours ago, and I was starting to think I was going to be spending the night at school.

"Oh. Um, hey Mike…" I trailed off unsure what to do. He sat down next to me and was silent for a few minutes.

When he finally spoke, I jumped. "I saw your face earlier. When Artie did that whole emotional I need you- I love you- I can't survive without you shit for Tina. I had figured he was using you, but I didn't guess you'd fallen for him. Thought you could use some company."

"Glee ended hours ago. Did you just come back for me now?" I asked, surprised by his confessions.

"Well, no- I've been here in the library too. Remember I actually loved Tina too. I just saw you."

"You don't seem too heartbroken," I said suspiciously.

"I don't think I loved Tina the way Artie does. I never imagined spending the rest of my life with her or anything like that. Just like a couple of months in high school girlfriend who you're still friends with after. Anyway, I've been in love with, like truly in love with, someone else the whole time. Have been since I moved here five years ago," he said. My thoughts raced. What was this? Mike hardly ever talked to me. For that matter, he didn't talk much to anyone. He was the strong but silent type.

"Oh," was all I could think of to say. Mike took a pen out of his pocket and twiddled it in his hands. To my surprise, he then took one of arms and began to draw on it.

"Do you mind? I need an outlet right now. And I don't think the librarians would take it too kindly if I drew in the books."

It irritated me for a moment, but I decided I didn't care, telling him, "Whatever. I didn't know you could draw."

"There's so much people don't know about me. I'm either that Asian football player or the guy with the wicked dance moves. One or the other for every person. People don't know what else I do. I do love drawing and singing and dancing and football. But I do a bunch of other shit and I'm pretty good with all of them. But no one knows that. They don't know who I am."

God. Where were all these words coming from? But I couldn't help but be able to sympathize with him.

"I know what you mean. Nobody has an idea of who I am either. I'm just this girl who used to be on top of the world and then threw everything away by getting pregnant," I told him.

Offhandedly, he said, "I never thought that's all there was to you."

I looked at him then, really looked at him. His eyes were kind and understanding. And I realized that he was just what I needed right now, someone who cared about me and understood me. Of course, I had no idea if he actually cared, but it was only someone like him I needed.

"Thanks. That means a lot. And for the record… I never thought you were only a football player or a dancer. Granted, I don't know what else there is to you. But I know there has to be more."

Mike replied, "At least the people in Glee know who you really are. Even they don't know me."

I didn't know what to say to this. I wanted to tell him that wasn't true, but it was. I had no idea who Mike Chang really was.

Instead, I told him, "You know, I don't think I've ever heard you sing. Like a solo, I mean."

He looked at me, and it felt like he was looking into my soul. I expected him to offer to sing, but instead he cynically asked, "Who has?"

Immediately, I felt a need to remedy that situation. So, I nudged him. "Sing for me then."

To my surprise, he refused. "No."

"What, are you embarrassed?" I asked.

"Of course not. It just doesn't feel like the right time or place."

Although I didn't really know why, this frustrated me. I made a pouty face at him, the one I always used with Finn to get my way. I slapped myself mentally for thinking this. God, thinking about Finn still hurt.

Mike smiled. "If it means that much to you, I promise that someday, I will sing for you, Quinn Fabray. You can count on it."

I contemplated this for a moment. "Pinky swear?"

He laughed. "On one condition. After I sing for you, you have to sing for me."

"You've heard me sing!"

"So? What if I want to hear you sing again?"

"Fine. Now pinky swear on it," I demanded. He smiled again, and I couldn't help but smile too. Something about a smile like Mike Chang's just made me want to sing. He took my pinky in his, and shook. My smile got bigger.

"We have a deal then?"

"Yeah. Now, we should probably go home. It's nine already," he said. Startled by this, I jerked my wrist and looked at my watch.

"Hey! I was almost done!" Mike exclaimed suddenly. I stared at him, confused.

"Your arm?" Looking down, I realized he had been drawing on my arm the entire time. Funny. I had hardly even noticed after awhile. Now, there was a picture of a rose on the inside of my wrist, marred by a jagged line from jerking my wrist away.

"It's beautiful," I informed him. "But why a rose?"

Mike's eyes flickered to my face. "Hardly beautiful anymore. It was almost perfect."

"It still is, trust me. But why a rose?" I asked again.

"I guess because you used to remind me of one."

"Why?"

He hesitated. "Don't take offense, but before your pregnancy, when you were still a Cheerio, that's what you were. A beautiful rose. But… how do I put this? You were thorny, I guess."

I thought about this.

Then he said, "Wow. Thorny sounds way too much like horny to work in that context. Maybe prickly was a better word."

Then I understood. "Oh. You can say it, Mike. I was a cold heartless, bitch. It's okay. I know it's true."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"But I was. What do I remind you of now?"

"A lilac. Still gorgeous, but just without the thorns," he said. I wondered how flattered I should be he basically just called me gorgeous.

"So why did you draw the rose?"

"I don't know. I could draw a lilac on your other wrist if you want," he offered.

"Hmm… another time. You were right before, we should be going."

"Okay. Need a ride?" About to say no, I realized, in fact, I did. I had texted my mother ages ago to tell her I would get a ride while I was too depressed to go home.

"Yeah. If it's not too much trouble," I said. Inwardly, I was happy I could spend a little more time with Mike. Fifteen minutes with him and I was already pulling out of my depression.

He smiled again. "Of course not. Just tell me where to go."

Mike stood, and offered me his arm to get up. As I followed him to his car, I wondered how I'd gotten here tonight, doing the closest I've ever been to pouring out my soul, and to this boy I've known for five years but hardly ever spoken to at that. Once inside, I couldn't think of anything else to say, so I sat and chewed my lip while directing him to my house. Not my home, but my house. That place cannot ever be called home again. There are still too many painful memories lingering there.

After a few minutes, I began to study Mike out of the corner of my eye. What did I really know about him? He moved here when he was twelve, he was in all AP classes, was the tight end on the football team, and he lost his virginity to Santana. Actually, Santana had taken both his and Matt Rutherford's virginity in the same night a couple years back. Entirely too many guys at WMHS had been de-flowered by Sue's new head cheerleader. But anyway, there was one last thing I really knew about Mike. He was an amazing dancer. Of course, a lot of people knew that. But as a member of Glee, I was one of the few who got to regularly witness his dancing.

I realized all of a sudden that I wanted to know more about him. A lot more. He wasn't saying anything either, which was going to make this a lot harder. Finally, when the silence had gotten excruciating, I reached for his stereo, hoping just as much for something to fill the air as a conversation starter.

"Do you mind?" I asked.

"Of course not," he said. _Generous with car_, I thought. _Noted._

For a couple of seconds I just sat back, analyzing this small exchange for any more new information about him. Then, with a mild jolt of surprise, I recognized the music.

"You like Paramore?" I asked.

Mike looked at me. "Yeah. They're great. Why do you look so surprised? Don't like them?"

"No! I don't really know… They're kind of my favorite band right now. I guess, to be honest, I wouldn't have pegged you for a Paramore fan," I told him slightly embarrassed.

He considered this for a moment. "What would you have pegged me for?"

"Metal. Hip-hop. Rap," I said without a moment's forethought. His eyes widened a bit. Shit. Had I offended him? It hadn't occurred to me what he might think of such an immediate, rather stereotypical, answer. The only thing I had thought to do was tell the truth.

The moment it took him to answer seemed to last entirely too long.

"Well, you got me on the hip-hop. Rap is okay, but is gotta be good rap, not like that Soulja Boy shit. And I hate metal. I honestly can't stand it," he finally told me.

Then he added, "But my favorite is rock. And punk. That's why I love Paramore. Mostly rock, with punk influences."

"Me too," I said. "I mean, I can't do serious punk. But like punk rock or punk pop, that's good."

"That surprises me. I wouldn't have thought someone like you would ever like any sort of punk."

I contemplated this for a moment, wondering if I should be offended. But hey, I had made assumptions about him. Regardless, I couldn't think of how to respond.

He glanced at me. "What do you think of metal?"

"Shit. Like you said."

"Good. I can't stand people who like metal in general either."

I sighed. "What did you expect? Have you ever met a blonde girl who actually likes metal?"

Mike laughed. My heart fluttered. His laugh was almost as magical as his smile. I looked up, and this feeling was immediately negated as he turned onto my street. Finally, when we got to my house, I opened my mouth, trying to think of a reason to stay with him just a little bit longer. Then, the song changed, and I recognized the guitar chords. My heart lurched.

"Oh! This is my favorite song! Do you mind if I stay and listen?" I asked awkwardly.

His eyes flickered over to me. Did I detect a trace of happiness there?

He nodded. _Score._

"_When I was younger, I saw my daddy cry and curse at the wind. He broke his own heart and I watched as he tried to reassemble it…_

_My momma swore that she would never let herself forget. _

_And that was the day I promised I'd never sing of love._

_If it does not exist. _

_But darling, you are the only exception…"_

This was the point of the song that broke my heart every time I had ever heard it. After Finn, it had been so hard to believe I could ever fall in love again. The song had seemed to fit me so well. And then I had fallen for Puck, and Artie. I just kept making exceptions. During my meditation in the library, I had been determined to stop this, just to be a stone hearted bitch the rest of my life if necessary not to get hurt again and of course not to hurt anyone else, like I was quite prone to doing. But would I ever be able to stop? I couldn't ignore the wrench in my heart that was pushing me towards Mike after being with him little more than an hour. With these thoughts exploding in my head, I began to sing along.

Forgetting Mike was even there; I closed my eyes and just let every emotion I had felt since I had first seen that little cross on the pregnancy test. And it felt so damn good.

My eyes opened as the final strum of the guitar brought the song to a close. Mike was watching me carefully, analytically almost. What was he thinking?

"That was beautiful," he told me. I smiled weakly at him, and then, inexplicably, broke into tears. I hadn't cried at all today, not even when Artie dumped me. But I wasn't crying for him. I was crying for me, something I had not allowed myself to do ever since I let Beth go.

After a moment, Mike pulled me close to him and let me sob into his sweatshirt. "Thank you," I whispered to him once the tears had subsided.

He still held me. "For what?"

"Everything. For listening to me whine. For the rose. The ride, the song, understanding me. This," I told him. He had given me so much tonight, while I had given him nothing, except a pathetic excuse for company.

Mike pulled away gently and looked me the eyes. He took my face in his hands, and kissed me softly. I froze momentarily before returning the kiss. God, it felt so good, so natural, so right…. My heart skipped erratically as his hands slipped from my face to around my waist. Kissing him was like nothing I'd ever experienced. Just as I realized this, I felt like I'd been pummeled in the stomach. What the hell was I doing? I was dangerously close to hooking up with a boy I had had no romantic feelings for until maybe half an hour ago. And was I really feeling something for him, or was I trying to find a way to drown out my pain? I couldn't tell. My thoughts hadn't been clear at all since Beth, and the fact that Mike's hands were currently tracing up and down my back was not helping matters.

It felt so wrong as I pulled away from him. "Mike…" I gasped, my breathing heavy. What could I possibly say to him?

He looked at me with a sad, knowing look in his eyes. "It's okay, Quinn. I had no right to expect you'd want to kiss me or…"

I silenced him by pressing a finger to his lips. "It's not that, Mike. Or maybe it is. That's the problem. I just don't know. I don't know if I kissed you because I wanted you or because I'm trying to shut out all the hurt in my heart. And even if I wanted to, which is just as likely, I also don't want to hurt you. I'm broken, Mike, and everyone that get involved with me tends to get hurt."

"That's not true, Quinn. What about Puck? Artie? They hurt you."

"But it is. Puck slept with Santana because I was ignoring him that week. He loved me, he did, and I loved him, albeit not as much, but I wouldn't, I couldn't, pay attention to him. I've been with… I destroyed Finn. You know that. And Ra…" I cut off abruptly. Mike knew nothing about Rachel. No one did. No one could. "And I'm just not ready to start something all over again. I tend to jump into things too fast and then my heart and someone else's gets broken. I just can't do that again, not yet. I care too much about you already and I'm aware it sounds selfish but I care too much about my own heart too much as well."

I stopped. It was too late. I was already breaking Mike's heart. I could see it in his eyes.

"Just give me time. Please. That's all I'm asking," I whispered. I hated myself for saying this because I knew I had taken too much from him already, all in what, two hours? This was my problem. I kept taking from people and giving nothing in return.

He sighed, and bit his lip. "Time. Okay. I'll give you time. And during that time, can we be friends at the very least?"

I contemplated this. It seemed fair. "Okay. We're friends. And now I better go. It's getting way late." I started to get out of his car.

"Wait! This is probably totally petty and immature to ask, but… how much time do you think you're gonna need?" he asked.

I smiled at him. "Ummm… give me at least a week or two. A month at most."

"Sounds fair." He leaned towards me awkwardly, and for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me again. Instead, he just hugged me and whispered in my ear, "Friends."


	2. Memories

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the reviews on the first chapter, they were greatly appreciated! And of course, keep reviewing. I have to know what I'm doing right and wrong! Also, after reading the first chapter again, I realized the amount of time it takes place in is kind of out of wack. I imagined about twenty minutes of them in the library, maybe another twenty on the way home, and fifteen or so talking in the car. But anyway, enjoy!

I sat in my car and leaned my head back against the seat. All around me, students were rushing into school but I couldn't bring myself to join them. It would be the first time I would see Mike since he brought me home last Friday. My entire weekend, I worried half the time what our friendship would entail or if it would even work out. The other half of my time was spent trying to figure out what I felt for him. So far, I hadn't come up with any answers.

A sharp tap on the window jolted me out of my reverie. I jumped as Mike's face appeared.

"Hey! You just scared the shit out of me! What the hell was that for?" I asked as I opened the door. As soon as the accusatory words came out of my mouth, I longed to snatch them back. Would he be offended?

But Mike just laughed. "Well, I was on my way in and I saw you, and I figured that since we're, you know, friends and all, we could go in together."

"Oh. Well um, sure," I said awkwardly. _Great way to maintain a friendship, _I thought. _Yell at him for nothing._

We set off for the school and I searched for something to say. Thankfully, Mike started to pick up the slack.

"So what were you waiting in your car for anyway? You looked like you were scared of something," he said. Well, shit. Of all the conversation starters, he had to pick that one. I scrambled to think of something to tell him. Just as I was about to tell him I'd just had a long weekend and was really tired, I looked at him and I just couldn't lie to him.

"Er, well, I was actually thinking about us. Our friendship, I mean," I stuttered. He looked at me with his warm brown eyes and my heart fluttered. "What about it, Q?"

"I don't know…"

"Quinn, you were thinking about it, so you have to know what you were thinking," he said.

I sighed. "I was thinking… wondering if this would work. Us being friends while I figure out what I want, which I was also thinking about."

"See, now was that hard? If it makes you feel any better, I wondered the same thing too. But, I believe that we can function perfectly fine as friends," Mike stated triumphantly. Unsure of how to respond to this, I poked him. "Just keep yourself from springing at me then."

I gulped, wondering how the joke would go over. For a split second I thought I had offended him, but then Mike just laughed. God. Did this boy ever get offended? I mean, I suppose it's a good thing I haven't insulted him, but it's still kind of strange. Yet very attractive…

"I don't spring at girls, Q. That's Matt's thing, not mine. Now you, on the other hand, you will probably be the one having to restrain yourself, if I have anything to do about it," he joked.

I shot him a look. "What happened to time?"

"You can have all the time you want, Quinn. But I'll be damned if I'm gonna just let you take it all without a fight."

At this point, I was standing by my locker, and it was getting to be late. "Well, I guess that's fair. But let's get to Chemistry. Lawrence will wig out on us if we're late."

"Onward then, milady!"

I laughed as he hooked his arm in mine and we headed down the hallway. Even if unconventional, so far this friendship thing was going great. I couldn't help but smiling as we marched down the hallways. I didn't even care that people were watching. But then I saw Artie and Tina, just staring at us right outside Mr. Lawrence's classroom. I had hardly thought at all about Artie all weekend, and during the little time I had actually spent thinking about him I decided that I didn't give a damn anymore. Nonetheless, it stung me to seem him gaping at me, and Tina doing the same to Mike. Thankfully, Mike didn't seem to notice them, so as we walked through the door, I set my teeth and ignored them.

Sighing, I pulled my arm from Mike's and headed towards my usual seat in the front of the room. "Oh no you don't. Friends sit together, Q," he said, pulling me towards the back of the classroom. I laughed, and then the bell rang. Mr. Lawrence walked in and when he saw us in the back, I could say the way he quirked his eyebrows. That man loved order and routine, and while he didn't assign seats, he did love everyone to sit in the same place, and he was obviously irritated. Normally, the fact that I had disturbed a teacher this way would have annoyed me. I was getting the hell out of this town as soon as I could, and if constantly being on the good side of an asshole teacher was something it took to do that, then that's what I would do. But I found that I really didn't care, as a moment before, Mike had stooped to pick up a fallen pencil just as I had, and had grabbed my hand instead. My thoughts blurred a bit. _What does Mr. Lawrence really matter anyway?_ I thought.

The rest my day went like this. Mike and I were stared at, classes flew by without me picking up anything, and I yet I found myself strangely happy. My day was just swell until we walked into glee the last period of the day, laughing yet again at something funny Mike had said. We were the last there, so naturally everyone just had to stare. Puck and Finn looked surprised, and in Puck's case, hurt (_Don't care, don't care, don't care_). Mercedes and Kurt looked wary, as if I was already on the way to breaking another heart (_which I probably was, but still…_), Brittany and Santana both looked pretty pleased (_Mental note: investigate later_), and Tina and Artie looked vaguely annoyed (_Screw them_). I really didn't care about any of them, but it was the last two who actually hurt me to see how they looked at us. Matt was glaring at Mike. I didn't understand for a moment, until I realized that Mike had pretty much ditched Matt all day for me. I slowed, just then realizing what effect even just our friendship could have on glee. But then I saw Rachel. She was watching me with this incredible hurt in her eyes. My heart split into two. When would I stop hurting her without even trying? I stumbled to my seat, trying to regain my composure. My eyes shut, and I found myself flashing back to August.

_I sat on Rachel's bed, hating what I was about to do. I looked into her eyes, and I knew what I was doing was the right thing. Even if her heart would break, it was the right thing. It had to be._

"_Rachel… I… We have to stop seeing each other," I finally told her. I couldn't bring myself to look in her eyes, because I knew exactly what I would see there._

"_What? No, no, Quinn! We don't. I know what this is about. I know you don't want to be seen as a lesbian or even a bisexual once school starts. I know you that even less so than that, you don't want to be seen as a lesbian with me. But I also know you have genuine feelings for me. And I know my feelings for you are reciprocated. I will not allow you to do this. We had a plan, we can still make it work you know…"_

"_Rachel!" I cut her off. "It's not that, God, I swear it isn't. The problem is that right now, we both have boyfriends who love us and we're cheating on them. And I've finally figured something out. I love Puck back. This whole thing with you… it started because I wasn't sure how I felt for him, but now I know. And I realize this hurts you but…"_

_Her eyes flared in anger. "Dammit, Quinn! Its gonna fucking destroy me if you go through with it! But you won't. You might say you love Puck, but you don't. I won't accept it. You are not the kind of person who would drown out confusion of sorts with some sort of affair!"_

"_But I am, Rachel! Haven't you figured it out yet? I'm a bitch, I use people. Just ask Finn! Being with you, kissing you, everything we did felt incredibly good and it shut out everything with Puck. But at the same time, it felt wrong, and now I've figured out why. You're not the one. And that has nothing to do with you being a girl!" I screamed at her._

_I could see her heart breaking before my eyes. But I refused to allow myself to care. What I had said was true, even if she wouldn't believe me yet. I had used her, and I had no right to care how she felt. _

"_Then enlighten me, Quinn! What does it have to do with?" _

"_Us, Rach. Not us being girls, but us as actual people. Our personalities. We're just not right for each other. We're too similar, once you get down to it. If we were to stay together, we'd fight constantly, you know we would. And now that my head's clearer, I've realized something. I just don't like you that way," I whispered to her. _

_Her head snapped back as if I had slapped her. Her lips moved, but no sound came out, at least I don't think it did. This was a first, a speechless Rachel._

"_I'm sorry, Rachel. I never intended to hurt you. I'd like to be friends, if we could."_

_She shook a bit. "No, Quinn, we can't. Whatever your intentions, you have hurt me, perhaps irreparably so. And unfortunately for me, I did like you _that way._ Now just leave. And if you decide later you want to come back, don't," she near growled at me. I sighed painfully and headed for the door. I turned back once and said, "I really am sorry." Without waiting for a response, I left. _

I snapped back to the present. This memory still hurt, painfully so, even though it had been six months since I had broken it off with Rachel. It hurt to know that she was still aching over it. It had been true, that in the end, I just really didn't feel anything that way for her. But this isn't what was bothering me most. I could see evidence of my heart crushing tendencies all around me. There was Finn, thankfully over it. Puck, who wasn't, even after two months. Rachel, who probably wouldn't ever get over it, the way it was going. And finally, myself. As much as I hate to sound so selfish, I had crushed my own heart too many times to count as well. I didn't know what I felt for Mike. But I knew right then I honestly could not risk hurting him.

Mr. Schuester walked in then to start rehearsal, which I just ghosted through. At the end, I grabbed Mike and pulled him to the side as everyone else left. Schue watched us carefully as he packed up his things, but left without a word. I sighed, and turned to Mike. His eyes were worried and I just realized he hadn't said anything. Could he know what I was about to do?

"Quinn, I think I know what you want. Don't tell me you've made your decision already, because I know you haven't. And don't tell me our friendship won't work, because you know it can," he said before I could start. Damn, that boy was good.

"Fine. I haven't made a decision pertaining to what happened Friday, and I know our friendship can work. But either way, I don't think we should become involved romantically."

He sighed. "You just said you hadn't made a decision."

"I haven't. My decision whether or not I wanted you or whether I was using you. I still haven't figured that out yet," I told him, hoping I wasn't sounding like too much of a smart-ass.

"Then why have you said already there's no hope for us as anything more, Q?" he inquired. "Tell me that much. Wait, I think I know. It's that you don't want to hurt me, right?"

He really was perceptive. "I won't lie to you, Mike. That's it. I refuse to risk hurting you."

"How many times will I have to tell you this? I don't care. I will take the risk. And anyway, there's just as much chance of me hurting you," he said.

I really did not want to do this. But I had to. "Maybe so, but I've got a track record! There's proof that I crush people! And I don't want to do that to you."

"And did you ever mean to hurt them, Quinn? Did you ever do it intentionally?"

I deflated a bit. If he kept refusing to listen, this would be even harder.

"No…"

He smiled triumphantly. "That's enough for me. Now I'm still perfectly willing to let you have the rest of your time to decide if you want me."

I searched his eyes, looking for any way I could convince him that this wasn't a good idea. But I could see the resolve in him.

"Fine. But if you get hurt, it's on you too," I told him. Despite failing, I couldn't but feel happy somehow.

"Then let's go, friend. School's almost empty."

I sighed. What had I gotten myself into?

What had I gotten Mike into?


	3. Temperamental

The next month flew by. Mike slowly became my best friend. Being with him was so easy and so natural. Despite my initial promise not to take too long making my decision, I couldn't help but keep putting it off. It was too hard to stop and think too long about the depth of my feelings. And it didn't help that Mike's presence just completely wiped out whatever was on my mind before spending time with him, even Beth or… let's just say painful thoughts. And I had to admit, this was pretty useful. He was like a drug I was slowly becoming addicted to as to clear my head. Since we were together a lot, this left little time to contemplate without distractions.

And so I found myself alone at my locker exactly a month after that first night with Mike. I had not yet made up my mind. Although Mike had not pressured me once to choose, I could tell he wanted me to hurry up. Strangely, he hadn't shown up to school yet, and I could feel my heart sinking at the possibility that he might be absent. Though I suppose I should be happy that I might end up with a bit more time. Regardless, I couldn't help but keep looking for him. He hadn't sent me a text, which I imagined he would have done if he was sick or something. God, I hope he was okay…

"Hey Quinn!" I heard Brittany and jumped and I swear I may have just wet my pants, even though she said hi everyday like this.

"What the hell! Did you have to scare me like that, Brit? God, be more careful!" I snapped at her. _Oh damn. _I hadn't given a second's forethought to the fact that I was speaking to Brittany. Her mouth slowly dropped open and there might have been a tear in the corner of her eye.

"I'm sorry Quinn. I didn't mean to…" at that she ran away. _Fuck. _I hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. But that's what I did anyway, to everyone. I sighed, determined to apologize later as I turned to shut my locker. Then the one thing I should have expected happened.

"What the fuck was that for, Tubbers?" I could hear Santana shout from behind me. _Dammit to hell. _"Did you even realize you were speaking to _Brittany_?"

"God, Santana, calm down, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm gonna apologize later," I said, praying futilely that she would back off.

"I will most certainly not calm down! What were you thinking? She was only saying hi, for God's sakes!" she screamed. Her face was livid.

Without giving me a chance to respond, she continued, "What would possess you to do that? She's like, the sweetest person in the history of _ever_, and you have to go shout at her? I mean, it's Brittany, bitch!"

"Santana! Gosh, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to. I wasn't thinking. I'm kind of distracted right now. Lawrence is giving a really hard test today and my mind wasn't in what I was saying, it was in the land of chemical equations!" I said.

"Chemical equations, my ass, Q! We both know that's not what you were thinking about. You could ace that test in your sleep. Just because your lover isn't here does not give you a free pass to go and shout at _Brittany_!" she bellowed. By this point, the bell had already rung. The test in question had probably already begun. I might need to take it in my sleep the way this was going.

I could feel my face go red. "Mike is not my lover, Santana."

"Bullshit! I've never seen anyone more in love with you, and let me tell you, there's been way too many boys in this goddamn school that have fallen into that hole," she said, completely distracted. I could tell she'd wanted to get this off her (considerably larger) chest for a while now.

"Well even if he was in love with me, that has nothing to do with my attitude today," I insisted.

"Oh _sure_, if you say so, Quinn."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Please! Don't even try and tell me you are not in love with him too!" she said, nearly laughing. Great. Did the whole school know there was something going on between me and Mike?

"I…I don't know how I feel about him, San," I said.

"Then you are stupid. He's a great guy and he's hot and he's great in bed too, not like you care about that. If you don't love him, then you are missing out on _a lot._ I know you have him hanging by some decision you have to make, so I'm telling you, make it soon, and make it the right one. You'll regret it someday if it's not," Santana said. I bit my lip. What she said was true (although I had no confirmation of him in bed, and it's not like I had any real desire to find out). Would it really be so hard to be in love with Mike Chang?

"Look, Q. I'm not here to tell you what to do. On second thought, yes I am, when it comes to Brittany, who you better fucking apologize to, or you're gonna find Jacob Ben Israel's jew fro up your ass, which I'm sure you'll enjoy. But anyway, Mike. Don't say no. He'd be good for you. He already has been. You've haven't been so depressed lately while you're with him. Imagine what it would be like if he was your boyfriend too." At this, she spun on her heel, and left without a farther comment, likely looking for Brittany to comfort. I sighed. Without a second thought, I headed for chemistry.

* * *

Later, while taking the Chemistry test during lunch, my thoughts kept wandering to Mike. He still hadn't shown up to school. Could Santana be right, that I was so temperamental because he wasn't here, like she was when Brittany was gone? It was true I felt better with him by my side, but could it be because I was in love with him? I couldn't focus on the problems, and I found myself fervently praying for a retake as I handed it to Mr. Lawrence as he glared at me. Rapidly, I was going from one of his favorite students to his least favorite, just by disturbing his order in the slightest and missing the beginning of a test. Fantastic.

I left the classroom hurriedly, hoping to get to the last of lunch for just a bite to eat. I put my head down and speed walked right into somebody.

"Hey! Slow down, there Q, you're gonna kill somebody!" My heart lifted with my head as I looked right up into Mike's smiling face.

"Mike! Where have you been? I was getting worried about you!" I half squealed to him.

"Slept late. My mom insisted that I take a bit to relax as long as I was gonna be late anyway. Why aren't you at lunch?"

"I missed the beginning of the Chem test. I had to finish it now. I think I failed." He laughed at this as we started walking in a random direction. Now that I was with him, I didn't really care if I ate anymore.

"Why'd you miss?"

I didn't really want to tell him, but I knew I couldn't bear lying to him. "Santana was bitching me out in the hall for snapping at Brit."

"Ouch. Must have been ugly. What'd Brittany do to get you riled up?" He asked, sounding genuinely concerned. Everyone knew what Santana was capable of when it came to Brittany.

"Well, nothing. I was just in a bad mood, and unfortunately, it was Brittany to get in the way of my temper first," I told him. God, I hoped he wouldn't ask about why I was in a bad mood.

He looked at me. "Why the mood?" Of course. That boy could never ask the right questions. For once, I couldn't answer. He nudged my side. "Quinn?"

I sighed. I bit my tongue, searching for an appropriate lie. Of course, there wasn't one.

"You weren't here," I mumbled quickly, hoping he would miss what I said. He stopped and looked down at me. The question was bright in his eyes.

"Have you made your decision, Q?" he asked, sounding hopeful. Up until that point, I hadn't realized that I had. But admitting to him the source of my troubles showed me the answer. I opened my mouth slightly, searching for the words to tell him I wanted to be with him. After failing for a minute or so, I did the only other thing I could think of to do. Stretching up onto my toes, I kissed him. His body froze against mine, but after a moment, Mike relaxed and kissed me back.

"Is that a yes, you want to be with me?" He murmured a second later.

"Most definitely," I said. And after all those days of worry, I found that I hadn't been more sure of anything. He kissed me again and the bell rang. Students came rushing out of their classrooms, but we just stayed there, sharing this one perfect moment as life went on all around us.


	4. Halo

It seemed like an eon had passed when Mike finally pulled away from me. In reality, it had been only two minutes. Only. He pulled in a shuddering breath and looked down at me.

I wrapped my arms around him and whispered, "What do you have next period?"

"Gym. Why?" he asked.

"I have a free period," I said to him slyly.

His face was blank for a moment. His face spread into a wide smile as the realization dawned on him. I smiled with him.

"I'll ditch."

"Uh, no. You are not ditching. That's totally bad for your GPA. You are going to come down with a shooting headache that makes it impossible for you to play basketball," I told him.

He laughed. "Okay, if you say so, Q. But then I'll have to go for a little bit."

I stuck my lips out in a fake pout. "Fine. Meet me in the glee room in ten minutes."

"Okay," he murmured, and pulled me in for a quick kiss before jogging off in the direction of the gym building. I watched him go, smiling widely. This day had gone from bad to perfect in about five minutes.

It was just as I headed towards the glee room that I noticed some people were staring. Although normally this would have irked me, I just laughed. Out loud. Nothing was going to ruin my mood right now, not even some ignorant Lima Losers.

Once I arrived at the glee room, some of my euphoria started to wear off. I had absolutely nothing to do, and I hated to be unoccupied, even for a few minutes. I sat in a chair and drummed my fingers on my knee. Five minutes passed and I was just about to throw something when my eyes settled on the piano.

My heart stopped. When I was little, I used to love to play piano. And I was really good, too. I know that sounds really arrogant, but I was. I hadn't ever taken a lesson, either. As the story goes, at the age of two I climbed onto the piano bench and just started to play. It wasn't a tune at first of course, but after learning the pitches, I began to sound out "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." After that, I could play almost anything by ear.

Slowly, I got up and sat down at the piano bench. Playing the piano was one of the things I had loved doing most. Two years ago, my father sold our piano. He said it had become too much of a distraction for me, with keeping up perfect grades and being a Cheerio. What he really meant was that while yes, it was something of a distraction; perfect daughters don't need to be able to play piano. My heart was broken (yes, I know, that sounds extreme to say over a piano). I hadn't played since.

Hesitantly, I placed my fingers on the keys. Before I could control myself, I started to play.

* * *

(Switch to Mike's POV)

I practically skipped down the hallway in utter joy. Missing gym didn't seem like a sacrifice at all right now. In fact, it sounded like a damn good idea to just drop it all together. Because she said yes. The phrase "Quinn said yes" seemed like the most beautiful conjunction of words in the English language right now. Also, "Quinn 说是的" sounded like the most beautiful words in Chinese too. Just saying.

The gym teacher had looked a little suspicious when I bounded into gym only to fall to the floor due to a searing pain in my head, but had sent me to the nurse regardless. I couldn't help but laugh elatedly for no reason as I bounded in the opposite direction of the nurses' office.

A moment later, I slid to a stop in the doorway of the glee room. The door was closed, and I couldn't help but peer in the window before entering. Quinn was sitting at the piano (_?_), biting her lip. She looked like she was making some kind of monumental decision. Suddenly, she started to play.

My mouth dropped open slightly. First of all, I never knew Quinn could play the piano. For that matter, I don't think anyone knew. But what surprised me most was that she was absolutely amazing, which I could tell after about ten seconds. At that point, I could tell she was playing Beyonce's "Halo." My breath caught. This may sound kind of strange for a boy, but that is seriously one of my favorite songs.

I cracked the door open and slid into the room silently. Quinn didn't even notice me. She just started singing. While this may sound crazy, I like her voice a lot better than Rachel's. Something about it just drills a hole into my heart. I honestly will never get enough of Quinn singing. After listening to Rachel for too long, my head just starts to hurt.

"Remember those walls I built?  
Well, baby they're tumbling down.  
And they didn't even put up a fight.  
They didn't even make up a sound.

I found a way to let you in.  
But I never really had a doubt.  
Standing in the light of your halo,  
I got my angel now.

It's like I've been awakened.  
Every rule I had you breakin'  
It's the risk that I'm takin'  
I ain't never gonna shut you out.

Everywhere I'm looking now,  
I'm surrounded by your embrace.  
Baby I can see your halo.  
You know you're my saving grace.

You're everything I need and more.  
It's written all over your face.  
Baby I can feel your halo.  
Pray it won't fade away.

I can feel your halo halo halo!  
I can see your halo halo halo!  
I can feel your halo halo halo!  
I can see your halo halo halo!

Hit me like a ray of sun,  
Burning through my darkest night.

You're the only one that I want,  
Think I'm addicted to your light

I swore I'd never fall again.  
But this don't even feel like falling.  
Gravity can't forget  
To pull me back to the ground again.

Feels like I've been awakened.  
Every rule I had you breakin'  
The risk that I'm takin'  
I'm never gonna shut you out.

Everywhere I'm looking now.  
I'm surrounded by your embrace.  
Baby I can see your halo.  
You know you're my saving grace.

You're everything I need and more.  
It's written all over your face.  
Baby I can feel your halo.  
Pray it won't fade away.

I can feel your halo halo halo!  
I can see your halo halo halo!  
I can feel your halo halo halo!  
I can see your halo halo halo!  
Halo, halo."

By the time Quinn finished, I seriously had a tear in my eye. It had felt like she was singing about me, which was probably totally not true, but nice to think all the same. She just sat still, with a look of awe on her face. Quickly, I wiped the tear away and said, "I didn't know you played."

She didn't jump and start yelling at me like I expected her too. Instead, she looked up slowly, with only a mild look of surprise on her face. "No one does. But I played for twelve years starting when I was two. Never had a lesson. I guess I was sort of a prodigy."

I moved and sat next to her. "Why'd you stop?"

She sucked in a breath. "My dad sold the piano. Apparently it was a distraction."

I felt a sudden rush of anger for some reason. "Was this the first time you've played since?"

Quinn nodded slowly. "Yeah. I hadn't realized how much I missed it until now."

"It was beautiful, you know. The singing too."

She smirked a bit. "Please. I'm horribly rusty. And my voice isn't even suited for that song."

"I'm going to overlook the implication that you played badly. You did sing beautifully, you know," I told her.

"No. I'm not good enough for a song like that."

"Of course you are. But if you don't think so, why did you pick it?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her.

"I didn't. I didn't even decide what to play. I just put fingers on the keys and that happened. And the words just came out with it," she said, turning her face into my chest.

God, I loved her. I really did. It was impossible not to love someone with that kind of talent. And beauty. And brains. And a bunch of other things it would be implausible to list at the moment.

"I'll say it again. It was beautiful," I whispered to her.

Quinn was silent for a moment. "You know, I think my subconscious picked that song on purpose. Because I think I was singing about you."

I looked into her eyes, and I couldn't think of anything worthy to say to that. So I just pressed my lips to her forehead. She had been singing about me. Amazing.

We sat motionless for a few minutes. Then she said, "That was one of the last songs I ever learned to play. In fact, I think it was the last."

"How did you remember it?"

"Musical memory. People like me rarely forget anything they've ever played. It doesn't matter that it's been a couple of years. Everything just comes back. Can you play anything?" she murmured, as if she wasn't keen on the topic. And I suppose, if she hadn't shared with anyone she could play like that, it wasn't something she really wanted to boast about.

"Some guitar. Still learning, though," I said.

"You should play for me," she said, gesturing to the guitar sitting in the room.

"Ha! No way. I'm not that good. I'd feel so embarrassed after hearing you play the piano that I would have to shoot myself."

Her body went rigid. "Don't say that. I can't bear to think of you dead."

I mentally slapped myself. "Sorry, Quinn. You know I didn't mean it."

"Yeah, but still. I care far too much for you to even think about that."

Thoughts churning, I bit my lip. "Speaking of feelings… I gotta ask. What are we now? Exclusive couple? Just lovers? Friends with benefits? Something else?"

Quinn contemplated this for a moment. "Shit. I hadn't thought about that. I…I don't know if I really want to, like, officially go out as a couple. It's not that I don't care that much. It's just that I don't think I'm ready for that."

My heart sank slightly at this, but I told her, "That's okay. I completely understand."

"I mean, I'm not settling for friends with benefits here. That is totally the wrong way to describe this. So I guess we're lovers. But somehow that doesn't seem like the right word," Quinn said.

Well, that cheered me up some. "How about just… together?"

"You know, that seems perfect. We're just together." I wanted to say something, but again, I couldn't find the words. So I leaned down and kissed her to show my approval. She kissed me back with a passion I couldn't even describe. We continued making out for the rest of the period, and I swear, I hadn't been happier ever in my life. When the bell rang way too soon, I deflated a bit.

"We should do this everyday," I told her as we walked out, headed for AP Pre-Calculus.

"Michael Chang, you cannot get a headache everyday."

Without hesitation, I told her, "I have my P.E. requirements. I'll drop the class."

She looked up at me. "I don't think you should."

"Oh… Um, okay."

Then Quinn smiled coyly. "I didn't say I didn't want you to. Just that you really shouldn't. But I'm all for it if you really want to."

I smiled. Right now, life could not get any better.

"Tomorrow, then, same time, same place."

"Looking forward to it."

Yup. Life was flipping fantastic.


	5. Communication

The door to the glee room creaked as it swung shut. _Damn. _Mike and I had found out about a week after we started, um, using the room that that wasn't allowed without a pass. And Mr. Schuester refused to give us one. I think he was afraid that history may repeat itself if Mike and I spent one period everyday alone in the class room, which also happened to have a large closet. Like I was stupid enough to go down that road again.

Regardless, we kept using the room. No one actually went in there sixth period. At all. So for the past month, we just had to be careful that no one saw us going in or out. It wasn't that hard. The glee room was out in the arts wing, and it was hardly populated there as long as you got there quickly.

I sat my bag next to the piano immediately and seated myself. Quickly, I played a couple scales and a quick bit of a Sonatina to warm myself up. Glancing at my watch, I saw that Mike should be here in about two minutes. This gave me approximately a minute and a half to decide what to play.

All week, I had a hankering to play Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On." But I didn't want Mike to take it the wrong way. That might make it sound like I didn't love him. That I didn't need him or want him. Which I did. So instead, I reached down and pull a folder full of recently purchased sheet music out of my bag. I rifled through the sheets, looking for the song that would adequately express how I felt about Mike. I skimmed it, and smiled. Not too hard, not too easy. It was perfect.

I checked my watch. Ten seconds until Mike got here. Almost time. I set my fingers on the keys and counted out five more seconds. Then I began to play. Precisely five seconds after that, I heard the telltale creak of the door opening. So I started singing.

_"You, by the light_  
_Is the greatest find._  
_In a world full of wrong,_  
_You're the thing that's right._

_Finally made it through the lonely_  
_To the other side._

_You set it again, my heart's in motion._  
_Every word feels like a shooting star._  
_I'm at the edge of my emotions,_  
_Watching the shadows burning in the dark._

_And I'm in love._  
_And I'm terrified,_  
_For the first time and the last time_  
_In my only life._

_And this could be good._  
_It's already better than that._  
_And nothing's worse_  
_Than knowing you're holding back._

_I could be all that you need._  
_If you let me try._

_You set it again, my heart's in motion._  
_Every word feels like a shooting star._  
_I'm at the edge of my emotions,_  
_Watching the shadows burning in the dark_

_And I'm in love._  
_And I'm terrified._  
_For the first time and the last time,_  
_In my only life._

_I only said it 'cause I mean it._  
_I only mean 'cause it's true._  
_So don't you doubt what I've been dreaming._  
_'Cause it fills me up and holds me close whenever I'm without you._

_You set it again, my heart's in motion._  
_Every word feels like a shooting star._  
_I'm at the edge of my emotions,_  
_Watching the shadows burning in the dark._

_And I'm in love._  
_And I'm terrified._  
_For the first time and the last time_  
_In my only life."_

The music coursed through my veins. It was one of the few things that made me feel alive again. I breathed in once I was finished, slightly winded, while waiting for Mike to say something. He usually commented as soon as I finished singing, and this worried me. I didn't look at him, afraid I was about to see an unfamiliar emotion on his voice.

A moment later, I could feel the weight of his body settling onto the piano bench. He wrapped his arms around my waste and pulled me close.

"You think I'm holding back?" he finally whispered into my ear. I picked at the hem of my shirt, wishing that I could properly explain without sounding like an idiot. So I remained silent. He wouldn't get it.

"Quinn?"

I sighed dramatically. "Yes."

"Why?" His voice sounded hurt, almost broken, even.

"You've never told me you love me. Even after I say it to you," I whispered to him. "You've never taken me out on an actual date, either."

His breath tickled my ear. "Q, you said you didn't want to be boyfriend and girlfriend. And that's boyfriend and girlfriend stuff."

I froze. I felt like I had just been slapped.

Finally, I murmured, "I didn't know I had to be your girlfriend to go out on a date or to be told that you love me."

Mike said, "Quinn…"

"Or is it that you don't love me? That I've just been assuming that you do? Was I just some conquest to you, something to be won? Am I not enough for you anymore now that you have me in some way?"

For a split second, I could feel his body tense up. Then he exploded.

"Dammit Quinn!" he screeched, leaping away from me. "How the hell could you think that? Of course I fucking love you!"

I just looked at him, the tears welling in my eyes. "Really?" I said. "Because it's okay if you don't. Just tell me."

"No, Quinn! Listen to me! You were not some sort of conquest to be made! Every moment I spend with you, I am so grateful. Every moment I'm not with you, _I want to be with you._"

His eyes were full of some intense emotion I couldn't find a name for. "Then why, Mike? Why have you been holding back?"

"Because! You said you didn't want to be broken again. I was trying not to break you! I was trying not to hurry you. I want you not to do anything you'll regret. I want you to be one hundred percent sure of yourself," Mike said. He had stopped yelling, thank God. I couldn't take his anger. There was just something not right about it.

"Oh."

His mouth dropped open slightly. "Oh? That's all you can say? Oh?"

I sighed once again. Delicately, I picked myself up and made my way over to him.

"Mike, you are perfectly well aware of what I've been through. After that, all I really, truly want _is to be loved_."

"Fine. I love you, Quinn Fabray. I do. I'm just trying to go along with what you say you want. I'm trying to make this work."

I stared him. There were many ways I could answer this. So I decided to go with the simplest, easiest answer.

"I love you too, Michael Chang." Slowly, tenderly, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms back around me and just hold me there for a long time.

Eventually, I murmured to him, "I'm sorry. I've been a bitch. Expecting so much of you. None of this is your fault."

"Please, Q," he said as gentle laughs shook his tall, lanky body. "Of course I have some blame. It's mutual here. I think we're just going to have to communicate better."

Deep inside, I knew he was absolutely right. I hadn't told him exactly what I wanted. He was only trying to make it work based on what he had.

"Okay. In that case, I want to be your girlfriend, Mike," I announced.

His muscular form tensed once again. "Don't say anything rash, babe."

I laughed, even though there was nothing particularly funny about it. "I'm serious. I think it's the only way to make this really work."

"You're sure?"

"One hundred percent."

Slowly, Mike pulled away and looked into my eyes. "Well, okay then. You're… my girlfriend. And I'm your boyfriend. We're dating. And we're gonna make this work."

"Sounds great."

He smiled that gorgeous smile I loved so much. "Then Friday night, be ready at six. We're going on a date." Before I could respond, convey how happy this made me, he leaned and kissed me.

The world disappeared from around me. All that mattered was Mike. My boyfriend. Inwardly, I smiled. My life had just improved, I could tell already. Ten minutes later, when the bell rang and Mike was forced to pull away, all I could think was that Friday night could not come soon enough.

* * *

In case anyone's wondering, the song was "Terrified" by Katharine McPhee.


	6. Makeup

"Do I look okay?" I asked Santana, who for some reason had appeared at my door forty-five minutes ago, saying she was here to help me get ready for my date with Mike. How she had found out about this, I don't even know. But I couldn't help but be somewhat grateful to her. I hadn't been on a date in what felt like forever. They weren't really Puck's thing either.

She sighed dramatically. "Damn, Quinn, you look great. Incredibly sexy. I think I've already told you this ten times, so shut it."

I returned her spectacular sigh, and for added benefit, rolled my eyes at her too. Choosing to ignore the compliment, I turned to look at myself once again in the full length mirror once again. The baby doll dress I had chosen was from my early pregnancy. With a little careful layering, you couldn't tell that it was made to support a little something extra.

"I don't know, San, what if he thinks I'm pregnant again? I wore this dress all the time when it fit," I moaned to her.

With another token Santana Sigh®, she hauled herself up from my bed, where she had been painting her nails with my nail polish. "Q. If it weren't for my wet nails and the fact that I probably shouldn't put a bruise on your face right before your date, I would slap you. You look amazing. Mike is not going to notice the dress enough to think you're pregnant again. He's a frickin' guy."

Even though I knew she was right, I still had to worry. This was my first real date with Mike. It had to be perfect.

"And because I know you're going to ask, your hair is lovely. And so is your makeup."

I spun to face her. "Actually, I wasn't going to ask about my makeup. You would have taken it as a personal insult, seeing as you did it."

She laughed. I couldn't help but smile. Santana laughing was such a rare event. It was weird, because she such a nice, joyous laugh.

"That's right, honey. No one knows makeup like I do."

I leaned in closer to the mirror. "Damn right," I informed her. As always, the makeup was impeccable. Just the right amount and shade of everything. These were the kind of things I found myself envying Santana most. Not her position in the school's social ladder, not her perfectly toned body and her Cheerios uniform, or her ability to get pretty much anyone she wanted to sleep with her. It was her amazing talent with makeup that I wanted, or her beautiful handwriting, or her ability to pick up languages extremely quickly. Of course, she was already fluent in Spanish and English, and was pretty near fluent in French after only three years studying it. The things that most people didn't know Santana could do were the things I was most jealous of, strangely enough.

"But anyway, Santana, I've being meaning to ask you. Why the hell are you here?" I asked, finally parting with the mirror and flopping down next to her on the bed.

She batted her eyelashes at me, pasting a false expression of hurt on her face. "What's the matter, Q? You don't want me here? We were best friends once, you know."

Like she cared about that.

"Well, yes, no… I don't know if I want you here. It's kinda strange, San. For the most part you've been ignoring me ever since… last summer, and it's surprising that you came to help me. How did you even find out about my date?"

She sighed yet again and (shocker) rolled her eyes. "I have my sources."

I sat still for a moment. "But why? Do you suddenly not view me as scum anymore?"

"Q, I never thought you were scum. I just had to treat you like it."

"I feel like I should pursue that. But I'm gonna let it go. For now. At the moment, I'm more concerned with the fact you didn't answer me. Why?" I demanded of her. Another moment of silence passed.

"Honestly, Quinn… I don't know. I just knew I had to help you." This surprised me. How un-Santana like, to want to help someone other than Brittany. I wondered what to say to her next.

I studied her for a moment. I knew I may not get another chance to talk to her like this, but I decided just to let it go and be grateful.

"Well, thanks, Santana. I owe you one," I informed her.

She turned to look at me. Her deep brown eyes peered into my own emerald green ones for a moment, as if she was searching for an answer to unvoiced question.

"You're welcome. And you don't owe me. Just consider this a small repayment in return for nine months of abuse." With that, she got up from the bed and left. Dumbfounded, I sat, not even bothering to call her back. Santana helping me out of the kindness of her own heart? And apparently feeling remorse for the nine months of hell she had put me through? Had there been some cosmic change in the universe I hadn't even noticed?

Five minutes or so later, the doorbell rang through the empty house. Peering out the window, I saw it was Mike.

I smiled, forgetting about the whole thing with Santana. Time to do this thing.

* * *

Ok, so I know this chapter was short and there was no Mike, but it's really late right now and I felt this moment had to have a chapter of its own. Santana needed some kind of redemption. Worry not, I'll update as soon as I can with the details of Quinn and Mike's date.

And also, I think Santana is in Schue's Spanish class on the show, but here I'm assuming she's fluent and she'd rather learn French then be bored with Spanish. So just go with it.

And remember... **Reviews are a form of virtual love.**


	7. Falling

**Author's Note: **So I lied. Big time. I swear I had no idea that it would be this long when I made the promise that it wouldn't take too long before I updated again last chapter. It's just that I became really busy with school work (I guess my first year of high school finally caught up to me) and then I got caught up in writing _We All Have Our Lies_. Which, by the way, if anyone is also reading that, is almost done and I plan on updating soon. So, sorry for the major delay. I feel like such a freaking hypocrite, seeing as I kind of flip whenever my fav fics go too long without being updated.

* * *

Before I was consciously aware of what was happening, I flew down the stairs and was out the door before Mike was even halfway up the walk.

"Hey baby!" he called as I threw myself into his arms. Somehow that last moment with Santana had made me desperate for his company. For whatever reason I felt like I was going to lose him if I wasn't careful. Which really made no sense seeing as I got the feeling from this really weird stare into San's eyes. Determined to shake the feeling, I kissed him with all the force I could muster.

"Careful there, Q. We've got to actually make it to the Stix if you want to go on this date. Mauling me ain't gonna help with that, hon," he laughed.

I glared at him and then informed him, "Shut up. I'm not mauling you. I just didn't know I wasn't allowed to kiss my _boyfriend _in public like this."

Mike let out another laugh. "Baby, you know I don't really care." He kissed me again with the same amount of force I had given.

"Sorry… It's just that I'm kind of nervous," I whispered to him. This was stupid, I knew. We'd been seeing each other for… well, however long it had been, and there was no reason for me to feel awkward around Mike. But I was.

He tipped my face up towards his. "Q, I promise you, there's no need to be nervous. You know I love you."

I smiled. How could I ever have thought, even for a brief second, that I was going to lose him just because Santana suddenly had gotten herself a heart? God. I was freaking _paranoid._

"I love you too," I murmured back to him, and hugged him closer. His lips pressed against the top of my head, and I was happy. It was just another perfect moment with Mike.

He held me that way for a moment or so, and then slowly (reluctantly?), pulled away.

"Come on. Reservation's in ten minutes. We don't want to be late."

I sighed and followed him to his car. That one small moment had renewed my determination that this was going to be the _best damn date ever._ EVER.

* * *

And I swear to God, it was. The whole thing was just perfect. (Well almost, but I'll get to that later). The food at Breadstix for once actually tasted decent, and there was no difficulty in conversation, as I had feared there may be. Because seriously, it was _so _going to be difficult to talk to this guy that I had been seeing for what, two months now, and I already knew was my soul mate. Yeah right. Paranoia is an awful thing, my friends.

The movie, _I Don't Want to Fall Another Moment_, was amazing. It was a total chick flick and even Mike agreed that it was epically fantastic. And those were even his words.

After the movie, Mike drove us over to this little secluded area by the river just outside of town. He said he'd found it with his dad when exploring Lima, and it had been their place, before his parents divorced. Since then, his dad had moved back to China.

Anyways, this was when things started becoming… not quite so perfect.

* * *

"Wow, Mike… this place is seriously cool," I informed him as we lay back on a blanket he brought. "But… it's not like it's illegal to be here or anything, is it?"

He laughed. "Naw, Quinn, it's cool. It's not private land."

"Good. It's pretty. I like it here." I really did. The little spot underneath a large tree was just the exact size for a blanket for two people to lie on, and it offered a beautiful view of the river.

"It is, isn't it?" he murmured, pulling me closer to him. "Who knew such a place existed in Lima?"

I smiled at that. "I sure didn't."

Mike rolled over and propped himself up over me. "It's almost as pretty as you. And that's saying something," he murmured and then kissed me slowly and passionately. It was awesome.

I should have known from the way Mike kissed me where he was going with this. At first, I didn't even notice his hands slowly making their way down my body. But it was still quite a shock when I felt his hands slide under my dress.

I pushed him away. "No. God Mike, just no."

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Quinn. That was stupid."

"No _shit_, Mike. Did you seriously think I would sleep with you after last year?" I snapped at him. For some reason I felt like I should forgive him, but really, I shouldn't. Did he freaking forget I was eight months pregnant this time last year?

"Q, look at me. Seriously, that was a really dumbass thing to do, and I really am sorry. I just… things were going so great and well, I don't know. It just felt like the right thing to do," he said as I turned away from him.

"Really? Really? The right thing to do was knock me up? Well, okay, that's being overdramatic, but honestly, how the hell was that the right thing to do?"

For a few minutes, we just let silence consume us. Finally, he spoke.

"Quinn, please, please, believe me. I'm sorry. I got carried away. It won't ever happen again, I promise. It won't."

Slowly, I turned back to look at him. I could see in his eyes that he truly was sorry. Something in my heart relented and I leaned forward to gently press my lips against his.

"It better not."

A small half-smile formed on Mike's handsome features. "Does that mean I'm forgiven?"

I contemplated him for one more quick moment. "Like I said, as long as it doesn't happen again, you are."

The half-smile erupted into a full on grin. Jesus. In just five short minutes, I'd almost forgotten how amazing Mike's smile was.

"Good. I don't think I could bear you being mad at me."

I giggled. Then I kissed him again, and this time, I let it last. Finally, when we had both pulled, I just curled up into his side. We gazed at the stars for a few moments. Then something struck me.

"Mike?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember… that first night, when you promised you'd sing for me someday?"

"Of course. I remember every moment with you, Quinn."

I smiled. Sometimes, Mike could just be too sweet.

"Well, just wondering here… but were you planning on doing it anytime soon?"

"Yes, actually. I'm just trying to find the right song to sing to you. It's proving to be quite the challenge," he murmured, squeezing me closer to him.

"Oh. Why is it so hard?" I asked.

"It just seems that there's not a song out there, or at least one that I know of, that expresses exactly how I feel about you. I'm starting to think I'll have to write my own damn song," he said.

I turned this over in my head. "That's sweet."

"Hardly. If I actually wrote my own song it would probably be an epic disaster and I'd have to leave the country in shame."

"I doubt that."

"Please, Q. You don't have to say that."

"Yes, I do. That's what girlfriends do."

He laughed. "Whatever. Come on, Q, it's time to head home."

I sighed. Despite what had almost gone down, I didn't want to leave. Besides that one little glitch, that moment had been perfect. But Mike was right. It was nearly midnight and even though I knew my mom didn't _really _care, she had told me to be back by midnight.

Later, when Mike kissed me goodbye on the porch (so freaking cliché that it was amazing), I told myself that whatever happened from there on, everything was going to be okay. Nothing bad had really happened tonight, and we had had an awesome first date on the whole.

So after I slipped inside and watched him drive away, I couldn't explain why I had this gut-wrenching pit of worry gnawing away at the inside of my stomach for the second time that night.

* * *

_For anyone who is curious, as far as I know there isn't actually a movie called _I Don't Want to Fall Another Moment._ In actuality, it's the title of one of my favorite fanfictions on this website and it seemed like a nice name for a chick flick. I would highly recommend it. I believe the author's pen name is Navona. But don't read it if you're not into femslash, especially the QuinnxSantana sort. Yeah, I've kinda (as in completely) fallen in love with Quintana, so Quike has been downgraded to my second OTP. But whatevs. Not exactly relevant to this story._

_**So... if you're still reading this story (I wouldn't blame you if you've forgotten about it) or if you've just discovered it, please please please leave me a review. Reviews are like caffeine to me. Or crack, if you'd like to look at it more drastically. :)**  
_


End file.
